Home » History of Jazz Timeline: 1951

History of Jazz Timeline: 1951

45 rpm records are introduced to the public.
Jazz is starting to be considered legitimate by colleges and universities.
The first American Jazz festival occurs in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. in the autumn. This festival precedes the first Newport Jazz Festival by almost three years.
Armstrong wins Record Changer All Time All Star Poll 1951.
John Coltrane moves back to Philadelphia and enters the Granoff School of Music to study the saxophone and music theory with Dennis Sandole.
By this time, John Coltrane is familiar with Nicholas Slominsky's "Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns".
Coltrane's heroin use becomes a serious addiction. Gillespie fires him because of drug-related problems.
Clifford Brown, the brilliant young trumpeter from Wilmington, Del., returns to music after a year recovering from an auto accident. Clifford gets much encouragement from Dizzy. Clifford has a good reputation among older Bopsters.
Tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins joins the Miles Davis group. Rollins is a Coleman Hawkins influenced player. Because of this he is running counter to the current tide of Lester Young addicts. How ironic that ten years ago, Hawkins was the popular one.
Pianist Cecil Taylor begins to study music at the New England Conservatory. He had previously attended the New York college of Music. Cecil begins to mingle with young Boston musicians such as Jackie Byard(p), Gigi Gryce(as), Charlie Mariano(s), Serge Chaloff(s), Joe Gordon(t). Cecil has interest in Bop, especially Bud Powell and Horace Silver.
Ornette Coleman is working as a day laborer in L.A. He gets gigs when he can, but they are few. People think that he doesn't know how to play. He'll spend nine tough years this way.
Musicians such as trumpeter Chet Baker and saxophonist Gerry Mulligan form the "Cool School" in California, of course.
Sidney Bechet moves to Paris. Sidney becomes one of the first black American musicians to do this. Many more (Bud Powell, etc.) will follow due to less racial tension.
Thelonious Monk records the classic of modern music Straight, No Chaser.
Thelonious Monk is sentenced for drugs and is banned from playing the NYC clubs for six years. Narcotics which were probably not his were found in Monk's car. Monk will not inform. Although he could not play in clubs, he could record.
Miles Davis is currently recording little because of heroin addiction. However, his interests are beginning to shift from the Cool to the harbingers of Hard Bop.
Saxophone player Jackie McLean debuts on records with Miles Davis.
Soul sax player Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis is currently recording with Bennie Green and Art Blakey.
Bud Powell is back in a mental institution.
Charlie Parker is still hopelessly addicted to drugs.
Roy Eldridge makes the claim that he can tell the difference between a black player and a white player merely by listening. Leonard Feather gives Roy a blindfold test. Roy fails.
Django Reinhardt makes a comeback at the Club St. Germain in Paris.
Louis Bellson joins Duke Ellington on the drums.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe marries for the third time. The wedding draws 25000 paying guests.
Boogie Woogie piano player Jimmy Yancey dies in Chicago on September 17.

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Disclaimer: Though we have checked our facts, this timeline may contain erroneous information. If you discover errors or omissions, please bring them to our attention.

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